Welcome! My name is Kevin Benko.

I am thrilled to have you visiting my blog! I am based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina and I enjoy living a life full of health & happiness! I enjoy all things outdoors as well as photography!

How I got started.

Throughout middle & high school I was always the chubby kid and no matter what diet or exercise routine that I tried it seemed that I could never get rid of those extra pounds! As my senior year was approaching I was the biggest that I had ever been. At this point I was tipping the scale at almost 300 lbs. This is when I realized that I needed a lifestyle change. The idea of a lifestyle change motivated me to lose the much needed weight. After about a year and a half of working hard to lose the weight I am officially 100+ lbs down! I feel so much healthier and happier.

I am here to help you!

My goal is to add more value to your life than you ever thought possible. I am here to showcase my tips and tricks and how I became a healthy & happy individual.

Mix together the ground chicken, garlic, cilantro, almond meal and spices. Add the avocado, making sure not to keep the chuncks.

Divide into 4 equal-sized patties.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the chicken patties and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Serve each patty wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Makes 4 servings: 2 net carbs

Shredded Brussels Sprouts

2 Brussels Sprouts, shredded

¼ tsp Himalayan salt

1 Tbsp EVOO, avocado or coconut oil

Toss all ingredients together and cook in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 6 minutes or until sprouts are wilted.

Makes 1 serving: 2 net carbs

No-Chop Chili

1 lb grass-fed ground beef (or turkey)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cayenne (optional)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ cup freshe salsa

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine the ground beef and all of the spices. When the meat is cooked through, add your salsa. Simmer for 5 minutes. Nom.

Makes 4 servings: 2.25 net carbs

Pulled Pork

Dry Rub:

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional

The rest:

2 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt, pork butt)

1 onion sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp liquid smoke (I use Hickory)

Combine all the dry rub ingredients into a bowl and mix until uniform. Grab your slab of pork and pat it dry with a paper towel – take a knife and score the fat cap on it, don’t remove it as it will render and add some much needed flavor. Now get your rub on, making sure to get into all the nooks and folds of the meat, set aside.

Lay down a bed of sliced onions and garlic in the slow cooker pot, dump in the chicken stock and liquid smoke. Set to low, and come back in 8 hours or so. You’ll know it’s ready when the meat falls of effortlessly, or if you’re a stickler for numbers, when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195F/90C.

Now take out the pork, remove the bone if required, and pull your meat to your heart’s content. Remove any large pieces of fat you don’t fancy, until you’re satisfied. Using a strainer, separate the liquid from what’s left of the onions and garlic.

Makes 6-8 servings: 1 net carb per serving

Chia Seed Pudding

2 Tbsp raw chia seeds

½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 small jar

Pour ½ of the almond milk into the jar. Top with chia seeds and add the rest of the almond milk. Shake/stir VERY well.

Continue to shake/stir every 30 minutes or so for about 2 hours, then let sit at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 1 serving: 1 net carb

Fauxfel Patties with Sauce

1 cup raw cauliflower, pureed

½ cup ground slivered almonds

1 Tbsp ground cumin

½ Tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

2 large eggs

3 Tbsp coconut flour

Tahini sauce:

2 Tbsp tahini paste

4 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

For the cauliflower you should end up with a cup of the puree. It takes about 1 medium head (florets only) to get that much. First chop it up with a knife, then add it to a food processor or magic bullet and pulse until it’s blended but still has a grainy texture.

You can grind the almonds in a similar manner – just don’t over grind them, you want the texture.

Combine the ground cauliflower and ground almonds in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended.

Heat a half and half mix of olive and grapeseed (or any other light oil) oil until sizzling. While it’s heating, form the mix into 8 three-inch patties that are about the thickness of a hockey puck.

Fry them four at a time until browned on one side and then flip and cook the other side. Resist the urge to flip too soon – you should see the edges turning brown before you attempt it – maybe 4 minutes or so per side. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Serve with tahini sauce and a tomato & parsley garnish if desired.

Tahini sauce: Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Thin with more water if you like a lighter consistency.

Makes 8 servings: 5 net carbs per serving

Bacon & Egg Fat Bombs

2 large free-range eggs

¼ cup butter or ghee, softened at room temperature

2 Tbsp natural mayonnaise

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp salt or more to taste

4 large slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the bacon strips out flat on the baking paper, leaving space so they don’t overlap. Place the tray in the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. The time depends on the thickness of the bacon slices. When done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.

Hard boil the eggs. When chilled, peel off the shell.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add the peeled and quartered eggs. Mash with a fork.

Add the mayo, season with salt & pepper & mix well. Pour in the bacon grease and combine well. Place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or until it’s solid and easy to form fat bombs.

Crumble the bacon into small pieces and prepare for “breading”. Remove the egg mixture from the fridge and start creating 6 balls. You can use a spoon or an ice-cream scooper. Roll each ball in the bacon crumbles and place on a tray that will fit in the fridge.

Eat immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Makes 6 servings: 0.2 net carbs

Bacon Mozzarella Sticks

6 whole-milk organic mozzarella cheese sticks

12 uncured center-cut bacon strips

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cheese sticks on the sheet. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Wrap each cheese stick in two strips of bacon – one strip lengthwise, and the other all the way around.

Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 3 servings: each serving is 0 net carbs!

Baked Cheddar Chips

4 cups shredded organic cheddar cheese

sea salt

1, Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out the cheese evenly on the sheet.

Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, checking regularly until the cheese browns but does not burn.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and season the cheese with salt.

While the cheese is still warm, use a pizza cutter to cut into strips or triangles. Let cool before serving.

Grilled chicken is used quite often in my household, mostly because its easy and quick to throw on the grill or in the oven. I ALWAYS crave mexican food while on the keto diet so my mom and I recently made this mexican inspired grilled chicken and vegetables and now I am bringing this delicious recipe to you! If you do not have a grill or just don’t feel like cooking on it, you can also make this recipe completely in the oven and I will be including the instructions for the baking method as well!

An important thing to remember when cooking meat on a ketogenic diet, especially chicken breast, is to always add healthy fats like butter, coconut oil or olive oil when cooking it. This is important because chicken breast is very high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. You can also add fat to this recipe by adding toppings like avocado and sour cream to get the fat content higher as well.

If you are new to the ketogenic diet, and you don’t understand why healthy fat is important on a keto diet then check out this article: The Ketogenic Diet for Beginners

NOTE: The ingredients shown above are just the ones that we used but you can always add your own twist to the recipe by using different vegetables or seasonings.

Chicken Preparation:

Preheat your grill to medium-high or the oven to 350˚F.

Prep the chicken breasts by rinsing them off in cold water then placing them in a bowl.

Mix the lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, extra spicy seasoning, and southwest chipotle seasoning in the bowl with the chicken. Mix with wooden spoon or hands until the chicken is completely covered in the lime juice and seasonings.

Chicken Cooking Instructions:

After the chicken is seasoned well, place them on the grill and check every 5-7 minutes. The chicken should take about 25-30 minutes to cook fully, but depending on your grill and the temperature at which you are cooking, it may take longer to cook all the way through. If you are using an oven to cook the chicken, preheat your oven to 350˚F and cook for 25-30 minutes.

After you have checked to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove them from the grill or oven and place in a bowl and toss in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Place lid or tin foil on bowl to keep the chicken warm.

Vegetable Preparation:

Rinse all vegetables and place them on a cutting board.

Chop or slice all your vegetables and place them in a bowl.

Mix in olive oil and coat the vegetables completely.

Transfer your vegetables to a grilling tray or pan.

Vegetable Cooking Instructions:

Cook vegetables on medium high on the grill or 450˚F in the oven

Mix vegetables every 5-10 minutes.

The vegetables should take about 15-20 minutes to cook on the grill, cook them until they are slightly browned on the edges.

In the oven, the vegetables should take about 20-25 minutes, the vegetables may take longer than suggested time depending how brown you like them

Final Steps:

Melt a tablespoon of butter over the roasted vegetables.

Plate and serve your chicken and vegetables.

Enjoy

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase products, I may earn a small commission which helps me with the running costs of the site. Thank you for supporting Kevin Goes Keto.

As we all know, the ketogenic diet can sometimes feel restricting and unsatisfying when it comes to being able to have quality sweets (aka… that candy bar you almost broke your diet for in the grocery store check out line). But, your journey does not have to end in that grocery store check out line becasue I am lucky enough to have tried one of the best keto desserts of all time and I am here today to share it with you guys.

Sugar Free, Low Carb, & Keto Friendly Lemon Mug Cake

This super easy lemon mug cake is perfect for when you just want a quick treat to fight those cravings that I know most of us occasionally have. When I took my first bite into this cake I instantly thought of all those lemon pound cakes that surrounded my childhood. I must say this version tastes just as good if not better than grandmas old fashioned lemon pound cake recipe (I promise I won’t tell her if you don’t).

Glaze vs. Icing

Personally, I am an icing kinda guy so I prefer the lemon infused cream cheese icing on my cake but I know that there are some of you out there that prefer glaze over icing so I will be including measurements and ingredients for both so you can decide!

Instructions

Add all wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork. If you find your dough is too liquid add a bit more almond flour.

Transfer batter into your ramekin/mug and level the top.

Microwave on high for about 90 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave.

Remove from microwave and turn upside down onto a plate.

For the icing, mix all ingredients until combined then microwave for 15-30 seconds depending on desired thickness.

Or for the glaze, melt the butter, then stir in the cream, lemon juice and sweetener.

Let it cool until the icing or glaze begins to thicken but can still be poured. Then spoon/pour over cake and serve.

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

| 24g Fat | 4 Net-Carbs |7g Protein |

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase products, I may earn a small commission which helps me with the running costs of the site. Thank you for supporting Kevin Goes Keto.

While pursuing a ketogenic diet many people often feel deprived, unsatisfied, and sometimes just tired of the same old meals. Well, almond flour has absolutely saved my life when it comes to spicing things up in the kitchen. I can practically make anything that I am craving! From cakes, breads, chicken tenders, cookies, and even pizza! Almond flour is a simple ingredient made from almonds that can replace old fashioned flour. This particular brand only contains about 3 net carbs per serving, 6 grams of protein, and a whopping 14 grams of fat. This is a perfect macro breakdown for a ketogenic lifestyle and should definitely be incorporated into your daily diet!

Below I have attached a direct link to amazon so you can grab your first bag today!

The Ketogenic Diet has proven time and time again to be one of the best diets for weight loss. It can also be very beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer, focusing the brain (increased memory, clarity, and seizure control). This diet has also been proven to reduce the chance of migraines, as well as controlling diabetes.

With all of these amazing benefits some people still have their doubts about staring this diet due to the fact of the routine of eating high acidic forming foods such as fresh meat, some oils and nuts, as well as most dairy. One quick and easy way to neutralize the acid in your body is by adding lemon juice to your daily diet. Here is why you should be drinking lemon water on the ketogenic diet.

Lemons, And How They React In The Body

Lemons in general are natural disinfectants, therefore when they enter the body they clean everything that they pass through including toxins that live in the body. Lemon itself is very acidic based on its pH level of two. With that being said I’m sure you are now thinking: How does lemon juice become alkaline (having a pH greater than 7) when you consume it?

Well, it turns out that food’s pH level before it enters your body has little to do with how it may effect your body after being ingested. Although, lemons are an acidic food they transform into an alkaline substance after entering your body which then will easily and naturally neutralize your body.

Why This Is Important

In order for the cells in your body to function properly you should maintain a pH level of about 7. Maintaining this pH level on a ketogenic diet is important because you are consistently eating high acidic forming foods which will then result in health problems down the road. A common health problem that arises is a state of health referred to metabolic acidosis.

Lemon water is not the only way that you can neutralize your body on a ketogenic diet. One way that many people neutralize their bodies while on this diet is adding more alkaline vegetables to their diet like asparagus, broccoli, and green beans. There are many more vegetables and foods that would have the same effect on your body but these are just some of the most popular and convenient options.

5 Benefits Of Lemon Water

Great Source of Vitamin CCitrus fruits like lemons are high in vitamin C, which is a antioxidant that helps protect cells.

Improves Skin QualityDrinking lemon water has been proven to improve the quality of your skin and aids in preventing wrinkling. If your skin loses moisture, it becomes dry and prone to wrinkles. With that being said, being properly hydrated will help prevent this from happening and adding lemon water to your hydration regimen will help rid the skin of toxins and improve your overall skin quality.

Aids in Weight LossOne way that drinking lemon water promotes weight loss is the the reduction in appetite and calorie intake. There have also been many studies that prove an increase in the body’s metabolic rate when drinking lemon water.

Cleanses and Detoxifies the BodyBecause lemons are a natural disinfectant, when they enter the body they clean everything that they pass though which helps the body function properly.

Helps Body Absorb NutrientsWhen drinking lemon water with daily meals it helps the body with absorbing the nutrients that you need to maintain a healthy life.

How To Make

Lemon water is literally one of the easiest things to make and the awesome thing about it is you can add other things to it to make it even more nutritious than it already is. Sometimes I like to add limes or cucumbers to it to give it a little extra flavor. While on a ketogenic diet sometimes I miss just some good old fashioned lemonade so ill add some of my favorite sweetener to it!

Start by grabbing 2 or 3 lemon slices and lightly squeeze them into your water and then just throw the remaining of the lemon straight into your water so it can stay infused throughout the day when you refill your favorite cup / bottle.

From there you can add anything else that sounds tasty!

Things to consider adding to your lemon water:

Cucumbers

Lime

Raspberries

Blackberries

Sweetener

Will Lemon Water Kick You Out Of Ketosis?

The short and simple answer is no. Lemons are perfectly fine on a ketogenic diet and only can improve your overall experience and weight loss. 1 whole lemon only contains about 2 net carbs, and you are not even eating the entire thing. You are drinking a diluted version of the lemon juice contained in lemons so the carb count is quite frankly very minimalistic.

Attention to all chocolate lovers! This double chocolate mug cake is out of this world, and the crazy thing is that it is so very easy to make! I actually made mine entirely in the microwave. You all must give this one a try!

Black coffee is always going to be a winner when sticking to a keto diet, but we all know that sometimes its just hard to stomach, so I have put together a list of a couple drinks that I order on a regular basis at Starbucks.

A couple things to remember when ordering any drink at Starbucks is to always opt for the sugar free options that Starbucks offers like Vanilla, Hazelnut, Cinnamon Dolce, and now even Mocha! Next, you can opt for heavy cream instead of milk or other creamer. And then you can consider even adding an unsweetened nut milk like almond or coconut! But, those are just the basics. Below I have put together a list of some totally keto friendly Starbucks drinks based on your specific needs!

Iced Coffee Fanatics:

Vanilla Iced Coffee:

Sugar Free Vanilla Flavor

No Classic Syrup

Heavy Cream

Hazelnut Iced Coffee:

Sugar Free Hazelnut Flavor

No Classic Syrup

Heavy Cream

Cinnamon Dolce Iced Coffee:

Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Flavor

No Classic Syrup

Heavy Cream

Cinnamon Powder

For the Frappuccino Lovers:

Cinnamon Bun Frappuccino:

Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Flavor

No Frap Base

No Frap Syrup

Heavy Cream

Cinnamon Powder

Whipped Topping

No Syrup Topping

Note: You can have them blend any of the iced coffees listed above frap style!

One reason that people shy away from the keto diet is because they just cannot seem to give up their bread! Well, I have the solution for you all. This super easy keto bread is made entirely in the microwave! It is just a simple bread that you can make a sandwich with, use as a hamburger or hotdog bun, or even just as buttered bread as a side for a meal! Each loaf is only about 1.5 net-carbs (depending on the ingredients that you use) and can be cut in half or even quarters if you like thinner bread!

Then, mix the almond flour, baking powder, and ground flax seed in the greased mug or ramekin. Set aside.

Place butter in a separate dish then pop it into the microwave for about 15 seconds until melted nicely.

Add the egg and melted butter to your bread mix and mix very well with a fork, the longer you mix the better it turns out! If you don’t incorporate the egg well enough with the bread mix it will not reach the desired fluffiness of bread!

Pop the mixture into the microwave for 90 seconds until your bread has pulled away from the sides of the dish and is slightly firm.

Remove the bread from the dish by flipping it onto a plate, it should come out easily.

Let cool, cut to desired thickness & serve!

The reason I love this bread so much is because of how easy it is to make! Once you get the hang of it, making this bread will be like second nature! Once you get the hang of it you can always add some of your favorite seasonings. Personally, I like to add some basil, salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder to give it some extra flavor but it is not necessary!

Macadamia Nuts are by far one of the best keto snacks that you can have due to the fact that they are very high fat and one of the lowest net-carb nut that you can find! The macadamia nut has about 24 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, and only about 2 net carbs per serving! Macadamia nuts are perfect when you are lacking in your fat for the day, they are also great to eat in the morning to get your body burning fat as soon as you wake up! Overall, macadamia nuts are just perfect and they should be in EVERYONE’S pantry!